“Umran Malik wasn’t handled well by his team” – Irfan Pathan after SRH’s loss against LSG

Irfan Pathan was baffled as Umran Malik was left out of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)’s squad during their IPL 2023 game against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Saturday, May 13. Hyderabad lost the game by seven wickets.

The former India pacer reckoned that Malik, known for his reputation of cloaking 150 kmph+ deliveries at will, has not been treated well by his team this season. The tweet came after the Jammu & Kashmir speedster missed three consecutive games for the Hyderabad-based franchise.

Irfan Pathan wrote on Twitter:

“League’s fastest bowler sitting out baffles me. Umran Malik wasn’t handled well by his team.”

For the uninitiated, Malik played his last game for SRH against Delhi Capitals (DC) on April 29. The 23-year-old has, so far, scalped five wickets in seven games at an economy rate of 10.35 in the ongoing IPL 2023. He returned wicketless in his last three games against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Delhi Capitals (twice).

The Orange army, though, might reconsider his place in their next game against the defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) since their bowling unit failed to defend 183 against LSG.

It’s worth mentioning that SRH retained Umran Malik ahead of the IPL 2023 mini-auction. This came after the pacer returned with 22 wickets in 14 games at an economy rate of 9.03 last year.

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Umran Malik’s SRH still alive in the IPL 2023 playoffs race

Sunrisers Hyderabad are still alive in the race to the IPL 2023 playoffs despite losing to LSG. They, however, have a goliath task ahead. Aiden Markram and Co. must win their remaining three-group matches to reach 14 points and also rely on other results to go in their favor.

Hyderabad will play their remaining games against GT, the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), and five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI).

SRH last reached the playoff in IPL 2020. They finished eighth (2022) and last (2021) in their last two seasons in the T20 extravaganza.